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Reminiscences  of  Isaac  and  Sukey 
By  L.  C.  Capehart 


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THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


BrL.. 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINIANA 

PRESENTED  BY 

Sarah  Briggs  Trentman 


Cp813 

C23 
c.2 


REMINISCENCES 


OF 


ISAAC  AND  SUKEY 

SLAVES  OF  B.  F.  MOORE, 


RALEIGH,  N.  C. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofiOOcape 


ISAAC  B.  F.  MOORE. 


REMINISCENCES 


OF 


5AAC  AND  SUKEY, 

SLAVES  OF  B.  F.  nOORE, 


OF 


RALEIQH.  N.  C. 


BY  HIS  DAUGHTER 
L.    C.    C AFEHA  RT 


RALEIGH: 

PRESSES  OF  EDWARDS  AND   BROUGHTON  PRINTING  CO. 
1907. 


#?/3 

Isaac  and  the  Yankee  Officer. 


Interview  between  Isaac  B.  F.  Moore,  as  he  called  himself,  (taking 
the  name  of  his  former  master,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Raleigh.  N.  0.) 
and  one  of  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  stationed  in  Raleigh  in  April,  1865.] 


Isaac  lived  on  the  plantation  of  Mr.  B.  F. 
Moore,  near  the  city  of  Baleigh,  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Bart  Gatling.  On  this  farm  there  was  a 
fine  apple  orchard.  The  Yankees  were  canned 
in  the  grove  near  the  "Great  House/  as  the  ne- 
groes called  the  house  in  which  the  white  family 
lived.     I  give  the  interview  in  Isaac's  own  words : 

"One  day  a  Yankee  officer  tied  his  ridin'  horse 
to  one  of  de  best  apple  trees  in  de  orchard;  de 
horse  he  begun  to  bite  de  bark  on  de  tree,  so  I 
said,  'Mister,  dat's  a  mighty  good  horse-apple  tree 
your  horse  is  bitin',  he  will  kill  it.  De  Yankee 
giv  me  a  most  sarching  look  and  said,  4Yrou 
think  more  of  a  d — m  apple  tree  dan  I  do  of  a 
man's  life.'  He  stood  close  to  me  wid  his  sharp 
shooter,  his  neck  as  red  as  any  rose,  all  ready  to 
put  my  candle  out  at  any  minute.  You  better 
believe  I  eased  myself  away  from  dar.  Arter 
dat  I  sed  no  more  'bout  tyin'  horses  to  apple 
trees." 


Isaac  Before  the  Mayor  for  Killing  his 
Neighbor's  Hogs. 

One  day  arter  de  surrender  a  gentleman  livin' 
near  me  got  me  to  watch  his  field  to  keep  de  hogs 
from  rootin'  up  his  'taters,  so  when  de  hogs  be- 
gun to  root  I  sot  my  little  dog  on  em,  and  he 
fairly  tore  em  to  pieces,  so  de  odder  man  he  got 
mad  an'  ordered  me  'fore  de  Mare.  I  went  to 
see  my  ole  marster  to  git  him  to  pear  for  me.  He 
wuz  a  big  lawyer,  he  wus,  an'  all  de  folks  was 
'fraid  er  him ;  when  he  got  mad  he  war  er  terror, 
an'  er  Union  man,  too,  an'  cum  right  out  wid 
what  he  had  to  say,  an'  nobody  would  kill  him, 
but  tother  folks  was  'fraid.  Sum  of  'em  talked 
mighty  big,  but  nebber  went  whar  de  fight  was. 
But  I  was  gwine  ter  tell  you  'bout  dat  trial.  De 
time  was  sot  fur  ten  o'clock,  an'  when  my  mars- 
ter got  dar,  I  wus  dar  too,  me  an'  my  little  dog. 
I  bring  my  little  dog  kase  marster  want  de  coat 
to  see  him,  kase  he  said  no  sich  dog  as  dat  cud 
tare  all  dem  hogs  ter  pieces,  as  de  man  said. 
Well,  me  and  my  marster  waited  an'  waited  (he 
had  a  case  in  ernudder  coat)  ;  he  was  a  mity  busy 
man,  anyhow,  you  nebber  see  him  sittin'  down 
doing  nuthin'.  Marster  he  kept  talkin'  'bout 
losing  his  time,  an'  arter  erwhile  de  mare  he  cum 
in,  an'  marster  he  kep'  on  talkin'  'bout  his  bein' 

4 


so  late,  takin'  up  his  valable  time,  an'  he  kept 
on  talking — he  fairly  charged,  didn't  giv  nobody 
else  a  chance;  so,  arter  erwhile,  de  mare  got  up 
easy  an'  went  out  an'  soon  arter  all  de  odder 
folks  what  cum  to  hear  de  trial  dey  went  out  too. 
When  marster  got  thrugh  talkin'  he  looked  'round 
an  sed  to  me,  "Well,  Isaac,  as  everybody  else  is 
gone,  we  might  as  well  go  too" ;  and  dat  wus  de 
las'  I  hear  of  dat  trial. 


Isaac  Indicted  for  Shooting  his  Neighbor's 
Hog. 

Er  nudder  time  a  man  dited  me  fur  shootin'  his 
hog.  I  went  up  to  de  coat  house  an  waited  dar  a 
long  time.  Nobody  called  my  name  an'  I  didn't 
see  marster  no  whar,  so  I  jes'  leaves  dar  an'  goes 
to  look  fur  my  marster.  I  met  him  on  de  street 
an'  I  says,  marster,  I  bleeve  dey  is  gwine  to  beat 
us,  I  think  we  better  peal  to  Spreme  Coat. 
"Nebber  mind,"  says  marster,  you  come  back  wid 
me  to  de  coat  house.  Soon  as  we  got  dar  a  man 
called  out  "Isaac  B.  F.  Moore,  cum  to  de  stand." 
I  went  up  an'  giv  in  my  evidence,  an'  I  nebber 
heard  no  more  'bout  dat  hog  case  frum  dat  day 
to  dis. 


Isaac  and  Mars'  Ben. 


One  very  hot,  sultry  clay  in  August,  Isaac  and 
his  young  master  Ben  went  on  a  fishing  trip 
about  twenty  miles  from  Raleigh.  After  they 
had  traveled  several  miles  conversing  pleasantly, 
as  the  manner  was  in  those  days  between  master 
and  servant,  silence  reigned  for  a  few  minutes, 
during  which  time  Isaac  was  closely  observing  his 
surroundings;  he  soon  spied  a  woodpecker  tap- 
ping on  the  bark  of  a  seasoned  oak  tree.  Umph ! 
says  Isaac,  "dat  woodpecker  must  have  a  strong 
constitution  to  peck  a  hole  in  dat  tree."  He  shot 
at  a  bird  one  day  and  missed  him,  the  bird 
alighted  in  a  tree  nearby,  and  began  to  pick  him- 
self. "Look  at  dat  rascal,"  said  Isaac,  "pic-kin' 
my  shots  out  of  his  back." 

One  night  he  was  aroused  from  his  slumbers 
by  dreams  of  burglars.  He  took  his  old  army 
musket  ( True  Blue  he  called  it  i ,  went  out  in 
the  yard  and  shot  at  what  he  thought  was  a 
man;  when  he  re-entered  the  house  his  son  said, 
"Father,  did  you  kill  him?"  No,  siree,  but  God 
knows  I  filled  dat  ole  beegum  full  of  shot." 


Isaac  Rabbit  Hunting. 

One  day  Isaac  went  rabbit  hunting.  He  shot 
at  a  rabbit,  and  was  asked  if  he  killed  him.  "No, 
said  he,  "de  powder  got  between  de  rabbit  an'  de 
shots;  de  shots  passed  by  him,  but  he  smelt  de 
powder  an'  de  smoke,  an'  you  ought  to  heerd  him 
snort !" 


Isaac  Voting  the  Democratic  Ticket. 

One  day  I  met  one  of  dese  highfalutin'  nigger 
women  who  puts  on  so  many  airs;  she  says  to  me, 
"I'm  a  great  mind  to  shoot  you,  you  ole  rascal, 
fur  yotin'  dat  ticket."  "Well,  madam,  if  your 
fingers  ken  play  ou  de  trigger  enny  faster  dan 
mine,  crack  a'  loose." 

Note. — He  was  always  a  good  Democrat. 


Isaac  Watching  his  Corn  at  Night  Hears  it 
Growing. 


Dese  niggers  what  don't  work  kep  stealin'  my 
corn  out  de  field,  so  I  says  to  myself  I'll  ketch  de 
stinkin'  rascal  an'  have  him  struck  nine  an' 
thirty  on  his  naked  hide;  so  I  takes  my  True  Blue 
musket,  my  pistol,  my  sword,  an'  my  dirk  to  de 
field  an'  hides  myself.  I  watched  all  de  live  long 
night,  an'  nobody  cum,  but  God  knows  I  neber 
heerd  corn  grow  so  fast  in  my  life.  'Twas  nately 
poppiu'  an'  crackin*  all  night  long! 

7 


Isaac's  Steer  in  the  Mire. 


One  day  "Mars  Ben,"  walking  clown  the  street, 
met  Isaac  looking  very  anxious.  "What's  the  mat- 
ter, old  man?"  "Dat  steer  you  bought  fur  me  is 
mired  in  Mr.  Gatling's  mill  pond  an'  I  can't  git 
him  out."  "Who  have  you  to  help  you?"  "Well, 
little  John  Gatling  is  dar  an'  Mr.  Taylor.  Mr. 
Taylor  ain't  worhinf  any,  he's  jes'  doin'  de  plan- 
um'. We  bin  tryin'  to  undermine  him,  but  t'aint 
no  use,  for  he  jis  gits  deeper  and  deeper." 

Later  on  the  steer  was  extricated.  Marse  Ben, 
meeting  Isaac,  said,  "Well,  old  man,  I  hear  you 
got  your  steer  out  of  the  pond;  what  did  he  do 
when  he  got  out,  was  he  much  exhausted?"  "No, 
siree;  de  doggoned  old  rascal  jest  went  to  eatin' 
grass  like  dere  was  nothin'  de  matter  wid  him. 
Mars  Ben,  don't  you  ever  buy  me  ernuther  pop- 
eyed  steer,  a  pop-eyed  steer  is  ungodly.  Don't 
put  a  bit  in  an  ox's  mouf.  De  Bible  speaks  bit- 
terly agin'  it." 
Note. — James  Fontleroy  Taylor,  the  Bard  of  Khamkatte. 


"Mars  Ben,  I  heerd  Miss  Lucy  was  gwine  to 
git  married  agin' ;  is  dat  so?"  "Yes,  Isaac,  she  is 
to  marry  Mr.  Baldy  Capehart,  and  I  hope  she 
will  be  happy,  for  she  is  very  lonely  now."  "Bless 
my  soul !  I  dare  to  gracious  it's  a  mortification 
to  seriousness!" 


Sukey's  Opinion  of  her  Master's  Monument. 


Sukey,  after  the  Civil  War  was  over,  lived 
near  Oakwood  Cemetery.  Soon  after  the  erec- 
tion of  a  monument  to  my  father,  which  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  bust  under  a  canopy,  I  came  to  Ea- 
leigh  on  a  visit.  As  usual,  she  came  to  see  me, 
and  as  she  lived  near  and  I  had  not  yet  seen  the 
bust,  I  asked  her  if  she  thought  it  resembled  my 
father.  She  replied,  "It's  mity  like  marster,  all 
but  one  thing;  it  ain't  got  no  arms.  Marster 
was  such  a  busy  man,  always  at  work,  it  ought 
to  have  arms  put  to  it."  "I  hope  you  are  getting 
on  well,  Aunt  Sukey."  "Yes,  ma'am,  I  git  so  full 
of  de  Spirit  some  times  you  could  hear  me  holler 
over  here  (about  one  mile)  if  de  win'  was  blowin' 
de  right  way.  i  spect  if  I  eber  gits  to  Heben,  de 
Lord  will  say,  "take  Sukey  out  of  dar,  for  she 
hollers  too  loud." 


Sukey's  Husband,  Uncle  "  Toney,"  and  the 
Outsiders. 


It  was  customary  in  ye  olden  times  for  gentle- 
men on  horseback,  when  returning  from  church, 
to  ride  by  the  side  of  the  carriage  and  converse 
with  the  ladies  within.  It  was  quite  difficult  to 
keep  pace  with  horses  trotting  briskly.  On  one 
occasion  a  young  lady  called  out,  "Uncle  Tony, 
don't  drive  so  fast,  the  young  men  can  not  keep 
up."  Uncle  Tony,  whose  horses  had  been  plough- 
ing during  this  week,  replied,  'eDee  horses  bin 
workin  all  de  week,  dum  horses  bin  restin  all  de 
week ;  if  dum  horses  can't  keep  up  wid  dee  horses, 
dum  horses  urns'  stay  behind." 


10 


Sukey  Bat  Moore  on  the  Art  of  Flying. 


One  summer  night  about  twelve  o'clock  my 
mother  was  awakened  by  Sukey  (who  had  just  re- 
turned from  a  revival)  kneeling  at  her  bedside, 
saying,  "Mistis,  Mistis,  pray  for  me, — Judy  Free- 
man has  got  religion  and  I  can't  git  it."  My 
mother  tried  to  soothe,  and  promised  to  pray  for 
her.  Later  on  she  gave  evidence  of  having  "come 
through."  Not  long  afterward  while  in  church 
she  felt  happy,  and  began  to  shout,  saying,  "Oh! 
I  feel  I  can  fly  to  heaven!"  Some  of  the  sisters 
said  to  her,  "Aunt  Sukey,  do  try,"  and  under  the 
influence  of  excitement  she  really  did  jump  out 
of  the  window,  and  of  course  fell  to  the  ground ; 
fortunately  it  was  very  low  and  she  sustained  no 
injury.  One  of  her  friends  asked  her  why  she 
failed  to  fly.  She  replied,  "I  dunno,  honey,  'cept 
as  how  I  didn't  git  de  right  flop" ! 

Note. — Alluding  to  the  habit  of  fowls  raising  and  lowering 
their  wings  in  order  to  inflate  their  lungs  before  flying,  which 
is  usually  termed  flopping. 


11 


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